Salutaria
by DarkmoonSigel
Summary: The year is 44BC, and Crowley has received an unexpected invitation from Aziraphale to come visit him in Rome.


44 BC- March 15

"So why are you in Rome? I know it's not for the orgies. Even better question though, why did you invite me here?" Crowley said by way of greeting the angel. They conveniently ran into each other from time to time while on a job. They certainly didn't do invitations to purely social outings.

"I am working on something. It requires my constant presence here at the moment, but I could do with some company." Aziraphale said, instead of really answering him. Something wasn't quite adding up here. For one thing, the angel wasn't his usual jolly little self.

"What could possibly merit your constant attention?" Crowley asked, wondering why the angel wanted him here. He was also wondering why the hell he had come.

"A very delicate political situation." Was all Azirphale said, which made very little sense to Crowley. Aziraphale very rarely personally buried himself in any political situation. He much preferred to inspire others to do the dirty work.

"Saving Caesar from unrest? There are more than a few senators not happy with him at the moment."

"Not quite." And something about how the angel said that caught the demon's full, undivided attention because what was happening was such a rare thing to see. Aziraphale was angry, very angry, and doing his best not to show it.

"What's going on?" Crowley was uneasy now.

"Would you like to go to the theater with me?" Aziraphale asked instead of answering which intrigued the demon even more. There was that something in the angel's tone that was so captivating.

"Sure, why not." Crowley said, figuring that they would be going to the Theatre of Pompey at some point anyway. So the demon was caught off guard when the pair strolled right through it, not bother to claim a seat, or find out what was playing. They entering the Curia instead.

The Curia of Pompey was a popular meeting place within the larger Pompey's Theater if the current mob of senators was anything to go by.

"I thought we were going to see a show." Crowley pointed out, doing a circle around the angel before returning to his side. Aziraphale was definitely still mad about something, but now there was something else residing beside that anger. It looked like determination to the demon.

"We are." Aziraphale said, motioning to Crowley to follow him. Unnoticed by the mortals, the angel and demon flew up to the rafters to get a bird's eye view of the proceedings going on down below.

"Oi, isn't that Julius Ceasar?"

"It is." Azirphale said gravely, glowering down at the man.

"Those are a lot of knives."

"Yes, there are quite a few."

"Well?" Crowley prompted, waiting for the angel to spring into action.

"Well what?" Aziraphale asked, his eyes never leaving the ongoing murder that was happening beneath them.

"Aren't you going to do some divine intervention?"

"Oh dear, oh dear." The angel said softly, making no move to do so. "I invited you to a bit of theater. Here it is. Let's see how this all plays out."

"That's going to leave a mark." Crowley cringed, "Holy hell, this is why you are in Rome. This is your 'very delicate political situation'. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, obviously." Aziraphale said, gesturing to the men who had done the deed. Ceasar was definitely dead, betrayed on so many different levels. "I was doing my duty by keeping an eye on you."

"So why did Ceasar have to die?"

"He burned up all my books and scrolls." Aziraphale said quietly after a long moment.

"You had a hand in the assassination of one of the most powerful men of this time period because he burned down a library?" Crowley could only gape that his celestial counterpart. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"It was my library. I worked very hard on it with so many lovely brilliant humans who have all passed on now. They could have lived forever in lettering." Aziraphale said rather primly, fiddling with his toga again. "And didn't have a hand in anything. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, so he just got smited vicariously." Crowley snorted.

"Hypothetically he could have." Aziraphale said, "All that priceless knowledge and stories lost, gone forever, turned to ash. May there be a special place in Hell for him."

"You keep walking and talking like that, angel, and you'll end up right beside him if you're not careful." Crowley warned, impressed but wary for the angel.

"I don't see how. I went to the theater to keep tabs on that wily demon Crowley who was in Rome at the time of the incident. Whatever the demon had already set into motion was well beyond my capabilities though I did absolutely everything that I could. Some things just can't be avoided, being a part of an ineffable plan, one that is beyond our understanding or control." Aziraphale said lightly, "I know a wonderful little establishment if you fancy a drink."

In that moment, Crowley learned three very important things about Aziraphale.

1) That he was highly intelligent, but also very clever,

2) To never mess with the angel's literature,

3) And that deep down, the angel was just enough of a bastard to hold his interest.

"I like your style, angel."


End file.
